Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Sheri Fink’s article “Life, Death, and Grim Routine Fill the Day at a Liberian Ebola Clinic” focuses on the usual daily routine at a Liberian hospital that treats Ebola infected patients. Fink gives an in-depth account of how daily operations run, giving the reader a full understanding of how Ebola affects individuals, even those actually serving in the medical field.

Fink’s description of the patients in the hospital was especially enlightening. Fink notes one patient’s feelings towards dying of Ebola when the patient expressed that “he would rather die from a knife than from Ebola. Two days later, the disease killed him” (64). This point indicates how Ebola could cause an especially painful death and the extremes that patients were willing to avoid it.

After reading Fink’s article, what was one point concerning any patient’s reaction to having or possibly having Ebola that caught your attention? Why did that scene stand out to you? Please provide a page number citation.

56 comments:

Anonymous
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10 AM really stuck out to me. I assume a patient dieing and being carried out was normal. But where he was found stirred uneasiness inside me. "He had left his bed...and curled up against a 50-year-old woman who had died"(62). It is chilling to realize that at the later stages of the disease, people become so desperate for comfort that a dead body is sufficient for their last moments.-Desmond Crumer

In the text,it mentioned a woman who was called Ms. Kollie, who had initially been told that she could leave, but after she had rejoiced and informed her family of the news, she was informed that her test had gotten mixed up and that she had actually tested positive (62). This stuck out tome because it displayed the emotional roller coaster that their situation had put them on. She would have had to go from being unbelievably anxious while waiting for the results, to indescribably happy, only to go to something along the lines of hopelessness. All of these emotions are completely opposite extremes,and to feel all of those within such a small time frame is mind-boggling.

Ms Kollie’s reaction to being diagnosed for Ebola really stood out to me. Given her diagnosis, she was devastated yet “refused to move to the confirmed Ebola ward” (62). This really took me aback because I couldn’t possibly imagine being diagnosed with something so horrible and it being bad enough to where I would refuse to get the proper treatement I need. It is baffling to me that a disease like this is such a death sentence. Which would make sense as to why ms. Lillie would have preferred to go home to her family.

After reading Fink's piece, the part that stuck out to me was at 10:50 AM. One of the patients had been told she didn't have Ebola when in reality, they just mixed her up with another patient. It was really sad reading this because she had called her family in excitement letting them know she was coming home. "Given the new diagnosis, Ms. Kollie was devastated and refused to move to the confirmed Ebola ward. Dr. Feuchte, the psychologist, went to meet with her. “I told everybody I am coming home,” Ms. Kollie told her, crying" (62). The relief she must have felt when told she did not have the virus must have been so great only to be brought down by having the virus, I can't imagine what I would feel.

One of the patients who reaction about possibly having Ebola that caught my attention was Kolast Davies' reaction at 8:45am. When discussing how boring it was to wait for results, Davies' stated, "'Being here is stressful and very boring, especially when you don't know your fate'"(61). This stood out to me because I was unaware of how long the wait was for the results. Having to sit there for days just constantly stressing about whether you have Ebola or not must be very mentally straining for these patients. Also while waiting and stressing over this, they are witnessing the effects of the deadly symptoms of Ebola that others fell victim to, wondering if they will soon have to face those problems as well. In addition to all of this, there's still a chance patients could receive the wrong results.

The story of the 38-year-old man who got carried out in a body bag at 10am in Fink's writing stood out to me the most. On page 62, Fink writes, "In the final stages of his illness, he had left his bed, disoriented, and curled up against a 50-year-old woman who had died." The man was nearing his death, and all he wanted was comfort. His lying with the dead woman did not prove that he was scared and upset about the disease. He didn't even care that the woman was dead. The woman might have been a stranger to him, too. But he just wanted comfort, and he found it with the dead woman.

After reading this piece the thing that really stuck out to me was the 10 am time. It said "No prayers were spoken, no tears were shed in what has become a new, numbed burial rite". This stuck out because this disease that was spreading was killing people so fast that people didn't even have time to grieve for the people who didn't make it. This also stuck out because it got me to realize how quickly something can happen or how fast someones world can turn upside down. The 10 am time really shows that one minute you can be fine and the next your not. So you shouldn't take things for granted. -Ivyanne B.

One of the patients experiences that stuck out to me most was on page 63 at 8:45 a.m. The quote "A woman in a t-shirt walked stiffly behind him carrying aplastic chair, which looked heavy in her weak hands", was very alarming to me because its horrible to think that a person could become so feeble from an illness, that a task as easy as carrying a plastic chair is difficult. I find it really painful to think about how powerless the Ebola patients must have felt.

The most striking part of Fink's article concerning the reaction of the patients was how they seemingly seemed to keep their lives going despite their illnesses, an example of this is when Fink mentions that patients were described as joking, happy and even playing cards (59). However, what stuck out to me the most was the imagery of the dead man and woman curled up together. It shows how human the patients were yet with the contrast of death and numbness in the article.

After reading Fink's piece, What stuck out to me was 10:50 Am. The confusion of who did and did not have Ebola when the patients got mixed up. I put myself in the place of the patient and could only imagine the overwhelming anxiety that was only due to an error made. It made me think of people being wrongly convicted for crimes and the disappointment the family deals with in either situation. In the end the virus still reached her system resembling injustice or unfairness.

In Fink's book, the part that stuck out the most to me was 10:50AM, where the female patient was misdiagnosed. Initially she was told she did not have Ebola. She then contacted her family to give them the good news. To only be told that her results were mixed up with another patient's and that she actually had the deadly disease. "Given the new diagnosis, Ms. Kollie was devastated and refused to move to the confirmed Ebola ward. Dr. Feuchte, the psychologist, went to meet with her. “I told everybody I am coming home,” Ms. Kollie told her, crying" (62). Talk about a "roller-coaster" of emotions. After reading that I wondered if she could file a lawsuit against the facility for mental anguish or distress.

The part that stuck out to me the most was the one titled 10:50 am. The text says, "Another patient, Lorpu Kollie,28, rejoiced after being told she was not on the list of those whose tests indicated infection. She called her parents to tell them she was going home. But a staff member had mistken her for someone else"(62). This left me really sad because of how happy patient Kollie was to learn that she tested negative for the ebola virus just to find out that she had been mistaken for someone else. She even called her family members to tell them the "good news" so it is horrible that she has to call again to tell them otherwise and she can't go home.

As I read this it made me wonder how the workers felt. I understand that the patients had many different emotions not knowing if they were positive or negative, having to wait days on the results until they got the new technology for quicker results. They also had the risk of their results getting lost or mixed up with others, like what happened with Ms. Kollie. Fink wrote, “but a staff member had mistaken her for someone else; in fact her blood sample, drawn nearly a week earlier, had tested positive” (62). Imagine getting the news you were negative only to have them retract their statement and tell you the opposite after telling your family you wer coming home and then having to wait for another test result. As I said before I wonder how the workers felt. Imagine having to tell you patients that they were tested positive. You would tp see the look on their faces and the anguish in their eyes. You see the day after day, hour after hour. Imagine seeing a dying man laid up to a dead women or a man saying he rather did from a knife than from Ebola. Imagine the weight they carry everyday on thermostat conscience and their heart. I don’t think i could ever beresposible for someone else’s life like that or tell people the bad news. They are truly brave and deserve respect for the things they do and go through themselves.

In the text what struck was the patient described what it was like being in an Ebola hospital. He said that his stay there was both very stressful and incredibly boring, page 61. He said that he was both terrified about a potential Ebola diagnosis which could mean a death sentence. On the other hand all the patient does is stare at a wall all day and play cards. This shows that life is as terrifying as it is banal.

At 10 AM Fink stated "He had left his bed...and curled up against a 50-year-old woman who had died"(62). While reading this piece, there are many revolting stories about what the Ebola virus can do to a human being. This story was one of the most unsettling to me. I cannot grasp the concept that this man was so in need of comfort that he rolled over to cuddle with a corpse. I'm not sure what I would do if I looked over and witnessed this scenario. It is truly heart breaking.-Brianna Pickens

A moment that stood out to me regarding a patient's prognosis of Ebola was Ms. Kollie's (page 62). Being quarantined away from everyone is one thing, but being isolated while waiting to see if you tested positive or negative for Ebola is another. Essentially you're being kept away from your family with nothing to think about except rather or not you're receiving a death sentence. The moment Ms. Kollie was told she tested positive for Ebola after being told previously she was fine is one that can easily take away your faith. She seemingly had her prayers answered and told her family she was coming home which I can imagine only added to the ordeal. Luckily, she was able to have a happy ending, but that wasn't the cast for many.

When it said 7:20 am it was crazy when she said "There were 22 patients, and no deaths overnight." That stuck out to me that she was so shocked that nobody had died.It was really sad to me that death is so normal that people not dying is shocking.

Before reading this, I didn't understand how bad the Ebola virus was, except for that it was a highly deadly outbreak. Now at least I understand the horror people go through as they wait to see if their lives are over or not. I was forced into imagining that, which is waiting for a piece of paper and a few words which would determine if I died or not. It must've seemed to them as if they were on death row, or close to it. The time stamp style of the reading also pounded into my head the fear everybody in the facility must've felt. Each time stamp I read, from 7:20, 7:40, 8:10, 8:40 and so on, I hoped that nobody would die. As in Anthropology class, where my professor told us about how hard it is to see the conditions of some cultures, I could only imagine how Sheri Fink felt as she had to endure seeing these people's death and suffering. It also makes me wonder how she deals with herself after seeing this kind of stuff. It really makes us appreciate the what we have.

The scene portrayed at 10:00 AM was very impacting for me (61-62). Beginning with the ill man who had found his way to the 50 year old woman and had died laying next to her, human emotion was evident in this section from the start. Possibly even more impacting was the final paragraph, which stated "No prayers were spoken, no tears were shed..." (62). This sentence showed just how commonplace death was becoming for Ebola patients, which I found incredibly disheartening.

One moment within the passage that really gave prompted a reaction from me is when Ms. Kollie’s was diagnosed with Ebola.She wanted to go home and be with her family but her refusal of treatment not only put her life in danger but her family's as well. In the book it said, she “refused to move to the confirmed Ebola ward” (62). I understand that people want to be with their families when they are sick however, I myself would not be able to do so in this situation. Ebola is a disease that spreads fast and causes lots of damage. I would not want my family to be exposed to it in any way shape or form.

"Life, Death, and Grim Routine Fill the Day at a Liberian Clinic", written by Sheri Fink, is all about the procedures used by aids clinics in Africa. At these clinics they undergo the most tedious of tasks to prevent themselves from facing an infection that has claimed many lives. The deaths become so frequent that the people who carry the dead bodies become desensitized to it and think of it was a routine. However, something the article also tells you is how patients pass the time and the food that the patients eat. "The blue buckets that served yam porridge at breakfast were now filled with rice" (63). The article also speaks on some of the emotions and strange behavior the patients exhibit. The article is very informative and uses a good mix or pathos, logos, and ethos.

It wasn't such a line, but a page the shocked me. There were a lot of lines on page 62 that stood out to me. One of the lines, about a body found next to another deceased victim, really shocked me because I couldn't believe someone with ebola suffers so bad, they will even "cuddle" with someone dead to feel comfort. I knew human touch was already something humans craved but I couldn't believe it would go so far as to laying with a dead person. Another line that shocked me was about Ms.Kollie and how she was told she would be able to leave, only to find out she truly had ebola and had to stay there. I could not imagine the feeling she must have felt when she found out she truly had the life threatening illness. I wouldn't want to tell my family the horrible news after I had just shared with them that I would be coming home. I wish she would have never been misdiagnosed becasue I'm sure being correctly diagnosed WITH ebola is easier to cope with than being incorrectly diagnosed WITHOUT it.

The scene that stood out to me most was Lorpu kollie's scene on page 62. This scene stood out to me because it shows how devastating the news was to her. After being told she was ok, she had called her family to share the news only to find out that the lab results were a mistake. By refusing to move to the designated area, Kollie shows how hopeless this disease can make you feel.

"They were burying a 38-year-old man. In the final stages of his illness, he had left his bed, disoriented, and curled up against a 50-year-old woman who had died. A nurse found them lying together the next morning" (61-62) This description stood out to me the most in this passage. I felt that this image summed up all the experiences the nurses dealt with.

One part that really stuck out to me while reading "Life, Death, and Grim Routine Fill the Day at a Liberian Ebola Clinic" by Sheri Fink was on page 61 at 8:45 AM when they are talking about whether or not the patients could play with a game set of dice. They were worried that a patient that wasn't infected would maybe get infected so the doctor decided to not let them. "Only those confirmed Ebola patients could safely play with each other" (61). It stuck out to me because it made me feel bad for those who were infected. It made me think about if there were two best friends and one were infected and the other wasn't, they couldn't play with each other because the other one might get sick.

After reading Sheri Fink’s article, this brought to light the actuality of how terrible this disease is. Ebola has been spoken of briefly, but since we in the United States have the correct medicines and technology to prevent the outbreak, only a handful of brave souls are able to see this terrible disease first hand. The part of the article that stuck out to me the most was the last paragraph. When Fink stated “Others had found a sheathed knife under his pillow, and he explained that he would rather die from a knife than from Ebola. Two days later, the disease killed him.” These few sentances just prove how awful this disease really is. A man would rather take his own life than to die the slow painful death of Ebola. This stuck out to me because I was never fully aware of how dangerous Ebola is, and now that I am aware, my heart breaks for all the men, women, and children that have to endure such a thing.

The one concerning part that really struck out to me was 10 am. " His was the seventh body on the grounds of the new treatment center. Ten more holes had already been dug, and four men with shovels stood by watching. No prayers were spoken, no tears were shed in what has become a new, numbered rite. As they returned, the team sprayed their path all the way back to the morgue(62). After reading this passage of the piece it made me really sad about how these people, who were infected, didn't have a proper burial. Their loved ones weren't there to send them away and they were just dropped into a random hole to be put to rest forever. I don't think i would have been able to do what the men did.

the moments that really drew me in are the lengths that the patients are willing to go during the later stages of this disease. I t shows the the best depiction of desperation in mankind. The fact that the patient would rather go through with killing themselves or curling up with a dead body really how painful this disease is. It also shows the brutality of having to go through this and knowing you're going to die, but not knowing when and still having to go through all that pain.

In, "“Life, Death, and Grim Routine Fill the Day at a Liberian Ebola Clinic," by Sheri Fink, I was able to read a lot of interesting points on the Ebola clinic in Liberia. One of the most moving parts was on page 62 when a lady got told she was safe to leave but later told that there was a mix up between tests and she was actually sick. It made me realize that though she and no one wants to be sick, we do not give a lot of time to think when things do go correctly. She probably would've gone home and rejoiced before getting back into her normal routine. But being stuck in the hospital shakes her world and throws her off routine in an unimaginable way. It reminded me to not only think about things when they do not go your way but rejoice in things and be grateful for much longer/always with day to day things that do but we do not give much attention to.

Page 62 was very emotional for me and it actually made me upset towards the end. It was sad that Ms. Kollie had to go through that emotional roller coaster like that. What made me upset was that after giving her the news and seeing her reaction (which would have been anyone's reaction), they then told her that they would run the test again, which is completely insensitive to the fact that she had already received different feedback.

While reading this passage, a lot of things stood out to me. The organization of the story created a sense of actually being there at that very moment with every patient and doctor. Also, being a pre-med major, at times I felt a smile forming on my face as I got to see the reason why I want to go into that field. Doctors who actually care provide a sense of comfort when people are at their lowest point because that joy that you bring could be the little bit of strength that person needed to fight on. It also showed many ups and down that a day with a complex life will bring. With this being our first reading this year, I'm extremely excited to see what more I will get to experience from this book!

This story shows the daily lives of people much less fortunate than anyone we know. Having put together the daily life of these people puts you into their shoes and makes you realize what could be you if you were born where these people were. I think the point of this is to send a message of what these people deal with.

What stood out to me most was the fact that healthy people have to wait in the same ward as the infected people for days awaiting their test results. Just because he was suspected of it he has to be tested and you don't get the results until days later. On page 61 the man says it is stressful and boring living in those conditions waiting for results. That is really difficult to hear.

This whole piece, overall, just brings a feeling of uneasiness to me because at first Ms Kollie thought that she was free of the disease (Ebola) (60-63), but later tests proved wrong. Her gradual reactions that were displayed in the story did a terrific job conveying her numerous blended emotions towards receiving this news (panic, sadness, fear). While I can not truly empathize with Ms Kollie, I can not help but to have pity on her in such a dark time like this.-Ronald Akpan

After reading this article the part that stood out the most to me was the woman who got the wrong lab results. It helped to show how bad the whole situation really is and how cruel life can be as the woman believed that she was fine but in reality she had the wrong results.

In the Article "Life, Death, and Grim Routine Fill the Day at a Liberian Ebola Clinic," by Sheri Fink the story that stood out to me the most was the one about the patient Ms. Kollie. This is because she had been told that she was on the list of people who didn't have ebola. She then called her parents to tell them the good news only to find out that they had mistaken her for someone else. This stood out to me the most because I just couldn't imagine the feeling she felt. I know it was a devastating feeling.

The parts that stuck out to me were the patients' safety and where the 38 year old man was longing for comfort. The patients were not allowed to have a life that were remotely close to normal. It seem like anything they did would have to had intense thought on their lives where simply things as playing with each other is not thought of. The man also struck me because at the end of the day, he just wanted comfort. Everything else seem irrelevant to him. It was eye opening to see how much people take things for granted.

10:50 a.m., on page 62, really stood out to me. Ms. Kollie received the wrong results because a staff member mistook her for someone else. She called and told everybody that she was going home, so it is more devastating than it normally would be if she had received the correct results in the first place. I'm sure the staff member felt terrible, but nothing can compare to how Ms. Kollie's family would have felt.

The scene that shocked me the most was at 7:20 am page 59 when a woman not only lost her husband, but her baby to Ebola. Now she is suspected to have Ebola and other diseases. It is understandable that she would refuse medication and food. She lost her family and she probably wants to be with them. You can sense her dispair and her great loss. That’s way this scene really stood out to me.

One of the patients that caught my eye was Lorpu Kollie. I found it heartbreaking that the doctors confused her for someone else and turned out that she was infected. I couldn’t imagine putting myself in her shoes. She was so happy that on page 62, we see her calling her family to tell them she’s going home. Then she found out that she wasn’t clean and refused to go to the hospital. This would be hazardous to those around her that may not be infected.

This reading really stuck out to me, because on the emotional turmoil it had put me through. Just imagine being told you didn’t have a disease, only to be told that you did have it after that. The joy and relief that the woman had went through was crushed, solely due to a misdiagnosis.She even called her family and spread the good news, so not only did the woman go through all of that turmoil-her family members did too. This reading really just shows the stress and emotional pain that diseases have on a family.

In this section, the most shocking to me was that of the patient Ms. Kollie (pg 62). This patient was taken for a spin when she was diagnosed with ebola and then later told she was fine and could leave. I think this relates much to our society today, and is shocking, because doctors sometimes do make mistakes like everyone else.

Page 62, really stuck out to me. I felt really happy to her that Lorpu Kollie was cleared to go home. Being giving happy news after being filled with anxiety then to have that joy ripped from you by saying oh we made a mistake your actually going to die anyways really hit my gut. I felt that was unfair.Chidera O.

The scene that caught my attention the most was when Lorpu Kallie was misdiagnosed on page 62. She was overjoyed to seemingly not have Ebola, and the fact that she had even called her parents and told them that she would be coming home soon struck me, because when they had told her that she indeed did have Ebola, her spirit was absolutely crushed. To go from such a high to such a low so fast, would be enough so unfair. Also, that is pretty bad on the doctor's behalf that they mixed up the blood samples like that.Kevin Cox

The patient that caught my attention was Lorpu Kallie. In the text it says “Given the new diagnosis, Ms. Kollie was devastated and refused to move to the confirmed Ebola ward”(62). At first Kallie was told that she was ebola free. She began to tell her family the good news. This moment was a very important and happy moment for Kallie. Then come to find out. She was misdiagnosed. This has to he the worst feeling anyone could have experienced. Thomas M.

I think something that really stood out to me was when they commented on how the patients were bored waiting for their results (p. 61). It shows that even in some of the times that can be the scariest can also be the most boring. "Being here is stressful and very boring, especially when you don't know your fate." It gives a humanizing effect to the explanation. This shows how real this is.

This reading showed me how strong the patients and the workers must be to go through such a horrible disaster. It must be hard being a patient because you will most likely not know your fate for a long period of time. While as a patient waits for the results and treatments to come, they still have to pull through horrible symptoms. When i read that that the man at the end was vomiting, and that there was a knife under his pillow. I started wondering how i would not imagine how it would feel to take my own life, rather than have hope of being cured.

"Life, Death, and Grim Routine Fill the Day at a Liberian Ebola Clinic" by Sheri Fink was a very interesting story, but it was hard to imagine the pain the patients and workers had to go through. The article, as a whole, was very interesting and it all stuck out to me, but a specific line on page 61 really stood out. It read, "Only those confirmed Ebola patients could safely play with each other." It stuck out because something so simple, such as playing dice, could be life threatening & how the divide between the sick and non-sick could separate families, friends, spouses, etc. It's just really tragic to think about.

After reading Fink’s article, what was one point concerning any patient’s reaction to having or possibly having Ebola that caught your attention? Why did that scene stand out to you? Please provide a page number citation.

The reaction that really caught my attention was Ms.Kollie’s, only because she reacted the same exact way I did whenever I received my chronic illness diagnosis. When I was told by my doctor what my symptoms led to, I was in a state of denial much like Ms.Kollie’s, she states “I told everyone I was coming home.” She and I both wanted to remain normal as long as possible and not deal with our illnesses. The struck a cord with me because I could honestly empathize with her, being told that you’re in perfect health and then having that freedom stripped from you so effortlessly is heart breaking. (62)

I think the scene with Mr. Davies at 8:45 a.m. was the most eye catching moment. It stands out the most to me because I feel his situation is somewhat worse than some of the infected patients. His situation is more complex for the simple reason that he may not even have the disease yet he must be contained within the same areas as patients that are actually infected with Ebola. Mr. Davies sums exactly this feeling when he says,"Being here is stressful and very boring, especially when you don't know your fate"(61).

After the article, an area of concern about Ebola that stuck out to me was the patient that got mixed up with another one who didn't have Ebola and went home elated, which we know in hindsight, wasn't the case. It's unfortunate to see these deadly diseases attacking countries without the proper technology to handle this. The worst part it the fact Ms.Kollie said , "“I told everybody I am coming home,”. After the heartbreaking news, she refused treatment, accepting defeat.

This story is a great read because it shows the iron will and heart of patients and medics during times like these. Especially when Ms.Kollie was given the wrong diagnosis and was told she fine to go home, and was shot down soon when she was mistaken for another patient.“I told everyone I was coming home”(pg.62). The bad news afterwards was extremely discouraging but the patients pull through in times like this.

After reading Sheri Fink’s article, this brought to light the actuality of how terrible this disease is. Ebola has been spoken of briefly, but since we in the United States have the correct medicines and technology to prevent the outbreak, only a handful of brave souls are able to see this terrible disease first hand. The part of the article that stuck out to me the most was the last paragraph. When Fink stated “Others had found a sheathed knife under his pillow, and he explained that he would rather die from a knife than from Ebola. Two days later, the disease killed him.” These few sentences just prove how awful this disease really is. A man would rather take his own life than to die the slow painful death of Ebola. This stuck out to me because I was never fully aware of how dangerous Ebola is, and now that I am aware, my heart breaks for all the men, women, and children that have to endure such a thing.

After reading this article one person’s story who stuck out the most to me was on page 62 when ms.kollie got misdiagnosed. It was really heartbreaking to read since she was so happy that she was free just to find out that she was still a victim of ebola. Ms.Kollie went from being really happy to extremely upset. I personally would have sued that hospital.

One moment that stood out to me was Ms. Kollie's unwillingness to move to the Ebola ward. Her diagnosis was confirmed yet, "she refused to move to the confirmed Ebola ward" (62). I believe this moment just shows how one moment in life can just destroy everything. She was shocked by the diagnosis and she could not believe it. Ebola is a death sentence and she could not come to terms with the fact that she would most likely die. Most people would have done the exact same thing in her situation and I feel bad for anyone going through such a painful experience.

Ms. Kollie's story really was prominent to me. To be unsure of whether you're sick or not and be falsely told by a doctor that you're okay must be a confusing experience. I can barely comprehend what would have gone through her mind to then be told that a mistake had been made and she was actually sick with a deadly disease that she was unlikely to survive.